Search form

The Branson Centre solution helping those affected by the Flint water crisis

x

I was recently in Jamaica, where I met Jovan Evans, the inventor of the Pump-n-Spray – a domestic water dispenser that efficiently uses water and reduces waste. It dawned on me when I returned home from Jamaica that the residents dealing with the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, could benefit from this simple, yet incredibly useful invention.

The Pump-n-Spray was conceived by Jovan after he experienced crippling Jamaican water shortages first-hand and saw how the 2013 drought severely affected lives. He was determined to ease the water crisis effecting over 400,000 households on the island, since without piped water, many found it difficult to carry out basic day-to-day chores and operations. The Pump-n-Spray was created to alleviate these challenges. When Jovan came to Branson Centre of Entrepreneruship, Caribben (BCoEC), the Pump-n-Spray was still an idea and a vision, yet since joining the team, Jovan has fully established and structured his company and launched the device, not only in Jamaica, but now also in the USA.

I was in Jamaica with my husband, Colin Duncan – a Senior Manager at Deloitte – as he met with Branson Centre leaders and entrepreneurs, exploring how a professional services firm (like Deloitte) could lend experiences to the benefit of new business owners. The international exposure that Jovan had already received through working with the Pump-n-Spray and Servants Without Borders stood out – his success a testiment to the value the Branson Centre delivers to entrepreneurs mentored in the Professional Services Programme.

Getty Images

Flint, Michigan is currently experiencing a humanitarian crisis, as the city’s water supply has been contaminated with lead. Residents are unable to drink, bathe, or shower with city water. Without access to safe piped water, residents have been bathing at homes and facilities outside Flint or foregoing showers altogether and some, pouring water bottles over their heads to bath.

Servants Without Borders (SWB) have launched a new crowdfunding campaign to #ShowerFlint and get Pump-n-Spray devices to Flint, Michigan.

Servants Without Borders are now working with Jovan to bring the Pump-n-Spray from Jamaica to Flint, deeming it a “miracle idea that has yet to be addressed”. The issue of bathing and showering is vital to address with approximately, 45,000 homes impacted by the water crisis. The introduction of the Pump-n-Spray has meant that residents can take showers, wash dishes, and begin to introduce a sense of normalcy to daily activities.

Getty Images

Whilst this is all positive news, help is still very much needed. Servants Without Borders (SWB) have launched a new crowdfunding campaign to #ShowerFlint and get Pump-n-Spray devices to Flint, Michigan. The money raised to date has already delivered nearly 200 devices to Flint and since then over 350 requests have been received.

Your support will go a long way with a donation of US$35 paying for a Pump-n-Spray device to be delivered to Flint residents. Why not spend a few extra dollars to help people in need? Through this support you know exactly where your donation is going – it’s a tangible product that is helping people in a tangible way. Situations like this should matter to all of us, even when we’re not affected personally, so please donate today.

- This is a guest blog and may not represent the views of Virgin.com. Please see virgin.com/terms for more details.

Visit the Servants without Borders website to find out more and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for regular campaign updates.